Kelsey Grammer to European Dubs: the Making and Voice of Tingeltangel-Bob
By Robert Thorne
The apex of Grammer's run arrived in season five with Cape Feare, an episode that routinely ranks at the top of animated history. Parodying Martin Scorsese’s 1991 thriller (and J. Lee Thompson’s 1962 original), the plot placed Bob in the role of Max Cady, stalking the Simpson family to Terror Lake.
The production ran short by several minutes during post-production. To fill time, the animation team stretched a simple sight gag: Bob stepping on the head of a rake, causing the handle to swing up and smash him in the face.
Director Rich Moore and the writing team looped the rake gag nine consecutive times. It transcended simple repetition. The sequence started funny, became absurd, turned irritating, and then circled back to being hysterical. Grammer provided the iconic vocal sound, a pained, shuddering groan that punctuated every hit. Combined with his bravura performance singing the entirety of Gilbert and Sullivan's H.M.S. Pinafore while drifting toward a dam, the episode cemented Bob's status as the show's premier recurring villain.
Robert Thorne covers electric vehicle innovations, autonomous driving systems, global mobility trends, and automotive engineering developments.
